All is Fair in Love, War, and Business
by Yu-tan
Summary: The head of Malkuth Ltd. is trying to get a read on his scarily efficient new assistant who as enigmatic as he is good at running Peony's life. Which is to say, very good.  AU, Modern...day?


**Foreword:**I'm not exactly sure what spawned this either. I apologise in advanced for various characterisations and so on. Special thanks to someone who pointed out how illogical this was.

Coffee, freshly made. He could smell it as he stepped out of the bedroom, luring him in like a siren's call. To his right, sitting on the couch with a clip board on his lap and a cup of coffee in one hand, was Jade, clearly absorbed in work related matters.

On a _Saturday_.

"Seriously, Jade? Don't you have a life?"

"Yes, I don't know what you're implying."

"Well, you're doing work for god's sake, on a beautiful Saturday morning."

"Well, I would be out on a morning run right now and then organizing files at the office, but I didn't want to make you feel cheap."

"My net worth is-"

"Fifteen figures. I know. So here I am..."

"Well, now I feel like a nuisance."

"Truthfully..."

"Please, indulge me."

"Have I done anything else as of late?"

"Mmm."

He leaned over, answering his rhetorical question with a retaliatory kiss. Last night was hardly enough and he was aching for more of the beautiful enigma who was gently pushing him away now-

"Is this how you lost the others?"

"Huh?"

Jade consulted a memo briefly.

"You've had six other personal assistants, two female, four male. They all quit between three and six months under employment, with one quitting after a week and another for half a year."

Shit. The others had been curious, suspicious, but no one had been absolutely sure as Jade was now.

"Uh, it's a long story..."

"You don't seem to be in a rush to leave."

Peony swore.

"How long since the start of employment before you slept with Mr. York?"

"Two months," Peony replied, turning a little red.

"Mr. Crawford?"

"Two months and four days."

"Ms. Livingstone?"

"Five weeks."

"Mr. Staunton?"

"Seven weeks."

"Ms. Terre?"

"Five months."

"And Mr. Bridges?"

"Seven hours."

He saw the eyebrow go up.

"I was under a lot of stress at the time."

"Mhmm."

"Please don't quit-"

"I have no intention to."

"I can give you a raise, if you want, better staffing, you know, it's just that I'll be reamed for losing another assistant- wait, what? You don't ... want to quit?"

"Why should I? I am perfectly comfortable with my salary and have no intention of extorting you for money. I had a short chat with Mr. Crawford already.

Peony was absolutely mortified. Here his personal assistant was airing his dirty laundry with the casualness of a grocery list after they had just slept with each other the night before- was he human?

"Of course, if you ever feel unsatisfied by anything you are of course in the right to fire me, but I don't think you've ever fired anyone in your life."

It was true. It was easier to make them leave him.

"Why is it you feel the need to sleep with your assistants?"

"Trust issues?"

"You only trust people you've slept with?"

"You don't?"

"I wouldn't trust anyone at that rate."

"You'd trust me."

"I suppose I would."

Peony sighed in relief. Jade wasn't quitting, which meant he didn't have to find a replacement. But that was strange, because they all left, within that half year window. He was already at the two month mark.

"Now, I have to get back to work."

**Week One**  
>"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Malkuth, I'm your new personal assistant."<p>

"Wow, I am impressed. I hope their plan not to let me have an interview first works."

"I thought that was strange. However, I hope we get along and maintain a good professional relationship." His new assistant replied blithely, the curve of his smile giving him shivers. He was dressed head to toe in something expensive, but very unassuming, almost military. He wore glasses, but Peony couldn't tell if it was to help him see the world or help the world see him. What sort of impression did he make on his new assistant, his tie undone and his shirt unironed. It has been a long night.

He was, after all, Peony Upala Malkuth, the ninth successor to Malkuth Limited Empire. They started in oil, but soon enough controlled imports, exports, energy, transportation, consulting, information technology, and most recently, the allied health sciences. And it was all on him, but he needed a considerable staff, obviously, and a personal assistant. Which his gracious board of directors hired for him. Strangely, he didn't fit in with the previous line up of choices, he thought, trying to figure out the exact color of his eyes and wondering how a grown man is allowed to wear his hair that long, admittedly, it was tied back neatly at the nape of his neck.

"Well, I have your agenda synced up already, here is today's schedule, a change of clothes is hanging on the door and I suggest you freshen up before your first engagement."

Was this guy for real? He must have been hired no less than twelve hours ago. He must be some sort of freak.

"And I'll bring you a cup of coffee."

Or an angel.

**Week Two and a Half**_**. **_

An angel or devil, Peony could not quite decide which one his assistant would fall under. He was organized, efficient, a telepath and possibly an alien. He couldn't understand how one man could single handedly streamline his clusterfuck of a schedule into something he could actually complete every day without running his brain into the ground. Basically, he was impressed.

"Are you listening, Mr. Malkuth?"

"Mr. Malkuth is my father, god rest his soul, so please just call me Peony."

"Well, the car is downstairs and waiting for you, _Peony_."

He grabbed his briefcase, brushing past him. "Are you mocking me? Seriously? You have a sense of humor?" he said incredulously.

"Of course."

**Week Three**

It seemed Jade knew everything about him already, so it was time to turn the tables. Jade had all the influence in his life, but Peony had influence that reached everywhere. At least, he thought so until he tried to find out something about his own assistant. Beyond the puddle's worth of information he gained by the copy of Jade's resume and public records- he was born up north, graduated top of his class, thirty five years old- same age as himself, which he found a little odd- a solid career until one little mystery.

"You served in the military?"

"For six years, yes." Jade replied without looking up from the laptop.

"What branch?"

"Navy."

"Why?"

Jade finally looked up over the top of the screen, even though the rest of his face was obscured he could still see him smiling.

"Because I didn't have anywhere else to go, really."

Beyond that, it was a complete dead end. He scoured the internet, newspapers, he even hired a private investigator to go up to his home town and conduct some inconspicuous interviews. Again, nothing.

"Please stop investigating my life, you made my sister very nervous." Jade told him abruptly over lunch at their favorite bistro.

"Then why isn't there more about it? Everyone leaves a trail," Peony said, winding pasta around his fork.

"Some of us are simply less obvious. All the same, I'd appreciate if you respect my privacy."

"You don't seem to have much respect for mine," he said, a bit petulantly.

"My entire job revolves around your life. But I try my best to remain as unobtrusive as I can,"

"But it's weird... It's only that hard to find information if you are trying to hide something."

Jade smiled that please-return-to-CEO-land-and-stay-out-of-assistant-world smile. "I've got nothing to hide, Peony."

"We'll see about that," he muttered into his linguini.

**Week Five**  
>It was happening all over again. The fascination (with Peony's ability to fall asleep with his eyes open at quarterly meetings), the meaningful looks (when Peony didn't notice his shirt own was inside out for an entire day), and the flirting (this was all in Peony's head). But regardless, it was happening again.<p>

The only problem was, it wasn't suppose to happen again. The board made it quite clear any further 'indiscretions' would come up in the yearly review. And he couldn't afford to let that happen. If Kimlasca Industries caught wind of it, he wasn't sure how their media would spin it. Damnit, that reminded him he had a meeting with a media exec to work on building their own network. Lord knows one day he'll need it.

"Peony, wake up. Wake up."

But he didn't want to, he was having such a lovely dream, something about well dressed assistants and a lot of harlequin romance scenarios. But someone was determined to wake him up.

"Afghhbfm...mphh," he yawned, realizing he had fallen asleep at his desk and drooled all over the forms he had been reading. Not the best start for seduction, but he didn't mind a handicap.

"It's half past two and I think you should go home,"

What Jade was doing here half past two was a better question. What he was doing here dabbing his face with a wet cloth was even better.

"You have ink all over your cheek," Jade answered without missing a beat. His uncanny perception and the way he could definitely see the color of Jade's eyes in the dark made an almost unearthly combination. His eyes were brown, he thought at first until he saw a gleam of red revealed by the light of the computer monitor. He was just about to say something when Jade turned the room lights back on, scattering the moment likes beads from a broken string.

**Week Seven**

They were at a bar. Peony had to admire how Jade blended in to any environment, even though he was still wearing the suit he came into the office wearing whereas Peony had taken fifteen minutes in front of the bathroom mirror trying to find the right tie to match the azure walls of the bar.

They were at a meeting, at the bar. Peony had to admire how Jade was taking pages and pages of mental notes he would be able to recall instantaneously and pretended to drink with a flawless expression of utter serenity. Deals, money, all the politics and bawdy jokes, spilling drinks until last call and they are all leaving, calling their drivers and chaffeurs.

"Shit."

"What is it, Peony?" Jade asked, his boss currently slung over his shoulder.

"My phone... I must have dropped it..." Peony swore inelegantly, patting himself down for his phone. "Need to go back and get it-"

"The bar is closed. Let me call the car for you-"

"No... Can't go back... Whoa," he said, clutching his stomach violently. "That blue drink is not agreeing with me... the one with the pineapples in it... Oh lord, I am so shitfaced," he said, nearly staggering off the side of the sidewalk.

Jade sighed, dragging his employer along. "Right, well, my place is only a block off from here, try not to vomit until then,"

Twenty arduous minutes and a very uncertain elevator ride up, Jade heaved the thirty six year old CEO of a financial and industrial empire spanning the globe across the threshold of his apartment, and as soon as he shut the door behind him, Peony stood up straight without a trace of the juvenile stumbling he had to put up with the whole way here.

"This place is horrifically depressing, but in a very stylish kind of way," Peony remarked, looking at the living area. Everything was in off white or muted grey tones, occasionally some blue accents, which just contributed to the washed outness of it all. There was a couch, a coffee table, shelves and shelves of books, and a kitchen just beyond.

"Peony, why are you all right...?"

"Because, my dear assistant, you are not the only one who is good at pretending to drink. But, I also have a flair for acting completely plastered when I'm not, which I ascertained was the only way you'd let me into your apartment.

They were in his apartment and Jade had to admire how skillfully he had been conned by his own employer. Not that it would ever happen again, but he could admire something from a professional standpoint.

"Why were you so determined to visit my residence?"

"Because I was hoping to know more about you. After all, since you leave a colder digital trail than a paper trail, I figured I had to go into your house to really find out who you are," Peony replied, scanning the bookshelves. All arranged alphabetically by author, regardless of the genre or subject.

"All right, you're here, I hope you've satisfied your frankly disturbing curiosity now."

"Hardly." There was nothing that made this apartment _Jade_, as odd as it sounded, even to himself. There were no pictures, no knick knacks, no magazines, not even any mail. It was so clean it could be sterile. Did he have OCD? In the kitchen there was a set of nondescript dishware, enough for one and a half perhaps. The pantry was almost bare, save for very expensive bags of coffee beans. Was he a vampire?

"There's the bathroom, which would have been the first stop on the tour were you really drunk, and then the bedroom, which concludes our tour," Jade said with false brightness, standing pointedly in front of the bedroom door.

"Let's have a look then."

"I'd rather you not."

"Do you have anything to hide?"

"You wouldn't understand."

"Try me."

So Jade stepped aside, and Peony entered an absolutely ordinary looking bedroom, a king size bed with only one side apparently slept in.

"There's nothing in here," he said, half disappointed and half intrigued even more. He got down on all fours and looked under the bed. Nothing there either. He poked his head in the closet, faced with only a tasteful array of professional clothing. Damnit. He went through all that trouble- picking the bar nearest to Jade's address, passing up the really interesting drink with the pineapples, suffering the presence of some of the most annoying people he's ever met, just to get a glimpse into his life and to just get this? There had to be something more.

"Is this like... a decoy apartment?" he asked.

"I'm not sure whether to be insulted or proud. What is it you were hoping to find here?"

"I don't know... something personal, something that makes you more than just my assistant," Peony admitted readily, leaning against the closet door.

"Are you implying you want me to be something more than just your assistant?"  
>"You already know the answer to that," he replied,closing the distance between them and kissing him, with just enough measured hesitance to let Jade back out now, but it seemed unecessary as Jade responded in kind, leaning gently against him.<p>

Soon, their movements gained a sense of urgency, fumbling with tie knots, cuff links, shirt buttons, all those little restrictions of daily life. Pulling out the plain hair tie, Peony threaded his fingers through the length of soft brown hair. Did Jade wear cologne, Peony wanted to ask, his mouth trailing kisses along the pale ridge of collar bone. Jade smelled comforting, in a nostalgic way.

"Enjoying yourself?" Jade asked with a smile, guiding him to the bed.

"Only as much as you are," he replied cheekily, stepping out of his trousers. He didn't want it to go too quickly, he wanted to savor it all, slowly, bite by bite. But he was being rushed by his hormones to take it all as fast as he could, lest it somehow slip away from him. He reached over, yanking open the nightstand drawer. Jade was either extremely well prepared or more sexually active than Peony gave him credit for, since there were only condoms and a tube of lubricant in the drawer.

"I knew this was going to happen," Jade said, answering his expression. He had to stop doing that mind reading business, it was eerie.

"Since when?

"Day one."

As weird as it was, he couldn't fault Jade, seeing as from Day One he knew he wanted to fuck him.

"Turn over."

"I'd rather stay like this," Jade said.

"Suit yourself," Peony replied. "

**Week Thirty  
><strong>**  
><strong>Their 'relationship' (the non professional one) was an absolute secret. He lost a couple assistants from the sheer drama of being caught, but the thrill was just too damn addictive. But no matter how risky they got, Jade managed to keep everything under wraps.

What exactly were they doing? It seemed stupid, even to him, to let this go on. Sure, the sex was great- all right, it ranked in the top three in his life experience- so far, but there was the six month mark.

Which came and went, leaving him utterly confused, Everyone else was pleased, because it meant apparently Jade wasn't his type. Oh, how wrong they were.

**Week Thirty Two**  
>Why was he doing this? He shouldn't be here, but he was. He could see Jade somewhere in the room, but she kept pulling his attention back. He didn't even know her name.<p>

Turns out, it was Nephry Balfour and she was Jade's younger sister.

**The next day**  
>"Does it bother you?" Peony asked anxiously.<p>

"No, of course not. Seriously," Jade insisted. "It's not like we are dating, so it's not a matter of infidelity. Plus, I know you really like her."

Jade was right on all counts, but somehow it still hurt. He just didn't know why.

**A week later**, he found his answer.  
>"I think we should refrain from these kinds of indiscretions while you're seeing Nephry," Jade said, looking a little pityingly at Peony's workload. He hypothesized that the stress upped Peony's sex drive because otherwise he would take to drugs or sky scraper bungee jumping. "Additionally, I'm seeing someone."<p>

"What?" Peony looked at him incredulously. "Who?"

"I'm sure you'll find out eventually."

He might not, seeing how damn sneaky Jade could be.

"Is it a man? Or a woman?" Peony began to pester him with questions.

"Please do some work."

But he didn't. How could he? Who could have captured the attention of his assistant who remained so cool, so distant from reality?

Turns out, it was a young, blond employee who leans in too close to Jade at the bar, who blushes too much when Jade whispers in his ear, and leaves with him without looking back.

**Day One**  
>"Fuck." he swore quietly to himself, looking despairingly at his shirt, now stained with coffee. The tie was ruined too. His first day at a new company and he already looked like an idiot. It just wasn't his day. Guy Cecil, twenty one, just wanted to go back to the lab.<p>

"Come with me." Out of nowhere, there's this guy, motioning him to follow. Was he security? An employee? The grim reaper? As far as Guy knew, the grim reaper or security probably didn't wear Armani, but he followed him out of the cafeteria anyway. Soon enough, he was completely lost and found himself in a storage closet of some sort.

"I think this is your size," the stranger said, handing him a clean shirt. "And change your tie too." He was given a deep blue silk tie with a subtle pattern that probably cost more than what he was going to make today, provided he didn't get fired.

"I-"

"The color brings out your eyes. Have a good day, Mr. Cecil. Oh, just go down five floors, we're right above where you need to be."

And then he was gone. Guy didn't even have a chance to say thank you. Of course, he wasn't going to pass up a chance at not looking like a fool, but it was just way too bizarre. The stranger was even right about the location- a short elevator trip later and he was right in front of the department he was looking for.

A guardian angel or a creepy stalker?

He couldn't decide which was worse.

The next day, he came in early and stopped at Human Resources.

"I'm looking for a man, he works here... I think. Glasses, roughly 6'2", brown hair down to here?" he asked.

"That's Mr. Curtiss, Mr. Malkuth's personal assistant." The blonde HR head replied quickly. Apparently, he was well known by description.

After that, it was only a matter of finding his office and knocking.

"Come in."

He looked busy, not pausing to look up until Guy was directly in front of his desk.

"Mr. Curtiss...?"

"Jade is fine, Mr. Cecil."

"Guy is fine, Jade," he replied smartly, offering the bag from the dry cleaners containing the shirt and tie he was loaned. "Thank you for helping me out yesterday."

Jade accepted it graciously, slipping it under his desk. "You're very welcome."

"How... did you know about me, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I like to keep tabs on new hires. Just part of my job."

There were just too many questions surrounding this man. Like why he had a girl's name, why he would give a new hire a designer tie, and why Guy wanted to ask him out so much. It was almost laughable, that last thought. No, it definitely was. Hilarious.

He got his chance by coincidence. The next week, he was out with his department when he spotted the mysterious assistant sitting alone at the bar.

"Jade!" he called out over the din of so many engineers conversing. He was greeted with a smile and a gesture to sit down. "How are you?"

"I'm quite fine," Jade replied. "Are you enjoying yourself?"

Guy nodded, taking a sip of his drink to avoid saying anything. God this was awkward. He must be more inebriated than he thought, to even be over here. Jade was probably sitting alone for a reason, like he was waiting for someone and now Guy was intruding, or he was in the middle of important assistant work or something. He was going to get thoroughly mocked by his coworkers for doing was he was about to do.

"Are you seeing someone?" he asked suddenly, his insides freezing up. Jade looked at him carefully, which Guy swore was the worst look anyone could ever give in the world. He just wanted to drown in his drink, but the glass was depressingly too small. In the dim light of the bar, he could swear his eyes were unnaturally red.

"No," he finally replied.

"Would you like to go out sometime?" Guy didn't understand the words coming out of his own mouth. What he was asking. He was asking him out. God, this felt so high school. Either the bar had to burn down or Jade had to refuse him, it didn't matter to him as long as it would be over with. To his amazement, neither happened.

"Yes, I'd like that."

So a date was set.  
><strong>Day Three<strong>

Honestly, Guy missed the lab and the workshop. He was better with hands on projects, tinkering and tweaking. And everyone was strange enough in their own way they overlooked his minor queerness. But at this multi-billion dollar corporation, it was all about the image.

Jade was already there before Guy arrived, despite being five minutes early to boot.

"Did I make you wait?" he said anxiously.

"I just got here," Jade replied, nursing a martini. "Please, don't be so nervous."

"I'm not... well, hell, I am," he admitted, taking deep breaths or trying to. He needed a drink.

"To everyone else, this is a casual work lunch," Jade said. Guy had to admire the way Jade subtly manipulated the perception of others with a business card on the table and his work bag by his chair. "So be at ease."

They ordered while making small talk. Guy found out that no matter what semi personal question he asked, Jade never gave him the full answer. But he seemed to genuinely enjoy learning about Guy's past at the lab. To everyone else, Jade was firmly fixed in the corporate world, but it didn't take long before Guy realized that he probably knew more than he did about his own field.

They lapsed into silence as their food arrived.

"Are you gay?" he blurted out over his risotto. Oh god, word vomit to the worst degree.

"No." Jade said with his now almost infuriating calmness.

"Straight?" Why was he still talking?

"No."

"Bisexual?"

"Not really the word I would use."

"Asexual?"

"Definitely not," Jade looked a little bemused.

"You're messing with me, aren't you?" Guy said accusingly, feeling a little humiliated. What sort of cryptic bullshit was that.

"I apologize. I'm only being truthful."

"Then why am I here?"

"Because I like you," Jade said simply, his bluntness nearly knocking Guy out of his seat. "Of course, if you feel uncomfortable, I understand perfectly. I was surprised you asked me the other day, I was afraid I may have been too overbearing."

"Hardly," Guy replied faintly, cheeks flushed from all the thoughts swirling in his head. The rest of the date- was it a date?- went smoothly. Jade neatly declined his offer to pay, even for half, simply saying he can pick up the tab next time. Next time, two words that made him nervous as hell and happier than anything. Finally, they were standing outside the restaurant.

"Would you like to come back to my place for a book?"

"Yes, I'd love a dri-wait, what?"

There was just that enigmatic smile again as he was whisked out and down the darkening street.

Guy wasn't sure what he expected from Jade's apartment. A coffin? A portal to a homeship? Jade's domicile was as mysterious as his personality. He was a little surprised at how ordinary it was. Utterly, utterly ordinary. Except for the books. There must have been thousands, crammed into every inch of shelf space.

"Here," Jade held out a worn looking book.

Guy's jaw dropped. "This is an original 'Expansion of Computer Engineering Applications'... it's even signed!"

"It's yours."

Guy shook his head, flushing. "I-I can't accept this." He didn't want to think how much this book was worth, certainly more than what he made in the last year. He'd read all of the later editions, it was probably his favorite book on systems engineering.

Jade just smiled ruefully. "I have enough of his books. I want to give that to someone who appreciates it."

"How did you know?"

"I have a knack for things like that. Take it."

"Wow... Thank you." It was useless, but all he could think of saying. "This is really kind of you," Too kind. Who gives an almost complete stranger, who is far below the chain of command to be of any actual use, not to mention considerably younger, an extraordinarily rare book?

"No, merely vanity."

**Day Fifty Four**  
>Occasionally, Guy had to pinch himself as a reminder he wasn't still dreaming. In what world did someone like himself, no status and no money, end up with someone like Jade, who on top of being ridiculously smart, had the former two things as well. It didn't help he was utterly gorgeous too. Guy once joked Jade only kept him as eye candy, but Jade quickly reassured him that he wasn't just a pretty face to him.<p>

And Guy believed him, based on the enthusiasm Jade showed in their many long conversations about computer engineering. It was a side he never saw in the office- obviously, because his responsibilities lay elsewhere. One day, he brought it up.

"Jade, if you know so much about computer engineering, why aren't you working in R&D? You could have at least twelve patents by now," Guy said teasingly, handing the other man his glasses.

He just shrugged, smiling mildly. "I joined the military when I turned 17, so I had to put some plans on hold for a while."

"You were in the army?" There were no end to the surprises about this man.

"Navy, actually. Six years."

"Wow." That did explain Jade's unnaturally good physique at his age. "But what are you doing as a personal assistant?"

Jade smiled wanly. "Doing what I want."

Guy would have pursued the issue if he weren't already running late, still undressed and betting he would not find his shirt in this room. On the other hand, Jade was immaculately dressed and halfway out the door.

"Don't forget to lock the door."

"Damnit."  
><strong>Day Fifty Five<strong>  
>"You're dating a 21 year old <em>nerd<em>," Peony said with mild incredulity. "His favorite band is Weezer. He owns a dog. He has _gynophobia_."

"You even lifted medical records? I'm impressed." Jade said, placing a cup of coffee on Peony's desk."

"Actually, I just went down and talked to his coworkers. Anyways, his facebook has pictures of him at a robotics convention."

"He's quite intelligent, yes."

"Are you serious about him?"

"Am I known for practical jokes?"

"I just don't see it. He's not that kind of person I imagined standing next to you."

"What kind of person should stand beside me then?"

"Someone like me. But less good looking, because you can't have it all."

Jade laughed.

Indeed, one couldn't have it all.

It was a party of sorts. They finished out the fiscal year with record profits and Peony decided that everyone should have a chance to relax. So they converted the lobby into a semi unprofessional setting for a night and he tried to forget the many things weighing on his mind. For starters, the unpleasant lurch he felt every time his gaze passed over his assistant beside the new hire he picked up out of nowhere.

They were really unsuited for each other, he decided privately. Jade was too cool, too refined for someone barely out of grad school. Jealousy was an ugly feeling and he knew it too. So, he just finished his drink. And his next. And the one after that.

Soon, he was about to make some very bad decisions. He was just about to address one of their company's shareholders when a familiar face stepped in front of him.

"I think you're ready to go home, Peony."

"Jade!" he said too loudly, though the music balanced him out thankfully. "Here to save the day? You've got the wrong man- you're suppose to be with Lois Lane, aren't you?" he said mockingly, looking meaningfully at Guy, who was standing a ways away trying to look like he wasn't staring.

"I'm hardly the superhero type. I'm just protecting our assets."

Peony snickered maturely.

"Time to go home, Peony." He repeated, keeping a firm grasp on his employer's arm. Smiling apologetically to Guy, who just shrugged with a grin, he escorted Peony out of his own building. After calling a car and then subsequently getting Peony inside of it, they were on their way. Jade left the windows rolled down in the event Peony decided he had enough alcohol for the night.

"Who're you texting...?" Peony asked obnoxiously, although he already knew. "That pet of yours...?"

"I'm apologizing- hey!" His phone was snatched out of his hand and then thrown unceremoniously out the window onto the freeway. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"S'not like it was your work phone. It had like... two numbers in it," Peony slurred, climbing expectantly onto Jade's lap. "C'mon..."

"You are making a huge ass out of yourself and you're lucky I'm the only one who's here to mmph-"

The situation was declining rapidly. Just because Peony was shitfaced didn't mean he would come onto him this aggressively. The last thing he wanted was for things to get physically violent in the back of a company car. An he realized it while Peony was trying to eat his face off, something so simple he couldn't believe he had overlooked. Firmly prying the errant CEO off of his lap, he looked him straight in the eye.

"When did she break up with you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Peony replied defensively.

"Why didn't you tell me if you two weren't together anymore?"

Peony's expression faltered. "I didn't... You... You were happy. You didn't need my troubles."

"This isn't trouble?"

"..."

"She is my sister, you know."

"Well, you guys act about as related as an apple and a... not apple," he mumbled.

"And just because I'm happy doesn't mean I'm not still responsible for you. I'm your assistant, right?"

Peony nodded slowly. "I just don't want to fuck things up again."

"You won't, Peony. I'll make sure of that," he said, patting him on the shoulder. In the next moment, he had Peony sobbing into his shoulder, catching broken bits of his explanation over the break up. Too much stress, public pressure, the paparazzi, her own future, all those poisonous elements of his life Peony took for granted because it was all he had ever known.

"I-I really liked her," he hiccuped, miserably stumbling out of the car, supported mostly by Jade.

"I know. But perhaps it's for the best, you know?"

"This is the worst," he mumbled, all the way to the elevator. "I asked her to marry me. I'd never asked anyone that before. Figured it'd turn out this way," he said, fumbling for his keys before realizing Jade already had them in hand and had unlocked the door. "You can go now. Go back to that kid-"

"He's not that young."

"Cradle robber."

"Seriously."

"Anyways, go on. I can take care of myself."

"Like hell you can," Jade said decisively, pushing past him over the threshold to his spacious apartment. Immediately, Peony's small herd of miniature porcine pets rushed out to greet him. "You still have these?"

"They are my only comfort now," he said, picking one up affectionately. Jade hardly approved, but at least Peony had the sensibility to keep the rabbits in cages after a particularly nasty incident. "Can I offer you a drink?"

"No thanks."

"Suit yourself."

"I don't think you should either," Jade said, quickly reclosing the refrigerator door.

"You're no fun."

"My job isn't fun."

Peony looked comically hurt at his words. "You mean you _don't_ like babysitting an emotionally unstable CEO with a penchant for sleeping with his staff? _Shocking_."

"Please leave the sarcasm to the experts," he said, gently steering him to his room without tripping and breaking his neck over his numerous pets.

"As long as you don't leave," he replied sleepily, clinging to Jade's sleeve.

"You know I can't-"

"Not like that. Just... don't leave me alone," he mumbled, curling up on top of the bedspread.

Jade sighed, adjusting the covers so that they were actually performing their intended function.

"As you wish."

-  
>"I have to apologize about yesterday, Peony gets carried away sometimes and when that happens.. I have to carry him away," Jade said apologetically over coffee the next day.<p>

"He seems like a handful," Guy remarked, free of the paranoia of eavesdroppers in Jade's own apartment, vocalizing himself over the affairs of his employer. "Why do you keep working for him, anyway?"

It was a valid question. Even though Guy had forgiven and forgotten for the previous night, it wasn't an acceptable situation in the first place. Sympathy? Loyalty? Chivalry? The latter seemed the most unlikely of them all.

"I suppose... it's many reasons."

Jade was uncharacteristically at a loss for words.

"Were you two... involved?" Guy ventured, blushing at the thought. It was a bold suggestion, unfortunately his gut instinct was right.

"Briefly. Before he started seeing my sister."

"That's kind of messed up."

"We aren't anything alike, it just happened that way."

"Well... I don't blame him," Guy said a little sheepishly.

"You give me far too much credit," Jade replied, smiling not out of modesty but sadness. "Let's go to bed, shall we?"

Guy followed readily, the tangled up ball of emotions in his chest finally dissolving. He hadn't realized how the suspicion preyed on him, despite the matter not really... mattering, anymore. Jade implied it was over, so he took him on his word.

-  
>"I think we should take a break."<p>

"You mean 'break up'."

Guy stared determinedly at the wall. "That's not what I said."

"But that's what you mean."

"How the fuck do you think you know exactly what I mean?" The words came out angrier than he intended, but perhaps he was angrier than he thought. Dinner was going okay, he thought, until somehow the wrong words were said and the wrong topics brought up and soon enough they were in the midst of a shouting match over the nature of their relationship. Well, Guy was doing the shouting, since Jade was apparently too fucking proper to raise his voice in an emotional manner.

"Tell me what you mean then,"

"Don't turn this back onto me, you asshole, you're the one who won't admit to a shred of emotion about anything," he said spitefully.

"I didn't know this relationship strained you that much." That was a lie. He was well aware of the stress and its effect- his sister was a living example. But he had clung to the hope that perhaps Guy was different, that he could accept it, that he was different. Well, apparently he was wrong.

"It's just the hiding and the pretenses and the lies..."

"You're aware of my position-"

"Damn your position! Relative to that, what do I mean to you? More? Less? Did I ever matter to you, Jade Curtiss-"

"You do-"

"But not as much as he does, right?"

"I think you need to calm down," Jade said, though his tone was more of an order than a suggestion.

"I think," Guy said harshly, grabbing his bag, "I need to get out of here."

And so he left and Jade had no fucking clue what to do.

So, against his better judgment, but in complete accordance with the vodka bottle, he called Peony.

Five seconds after Peony picked up, he hung up on him.

Five minutes later, he was knocking on his apartment door.

"Do you want some BJ?" Peony offered.

"I don't like ice cream."

"I didn't buy any."

Jade could only bring himself to smile halfheartedly at the joke.

"But I did bring some very good liquor to drown your sorrows in."

"I don't need to drown anything- Anyway how did you know I got-"

"Dumped? Call it intuition."

"You don't have to do this," he said quietly.

"Indulge me," Peony said, adding a paper umbrella to a drink with too many ingredients. "Try this."

"No."

"C'mon."

"Next you're going to try and braid my hair and tell me he wasn't worth it."

Peony pushed the drink into his hand and steered him to the living room. After the initial shock of his first break up, he was taking celibacy for a ride. It was an interesting ride, but he was greatly interested in getting off.

"Maybe. Or convince you to go back to when you had better prospects."

"I had better prospects-Ohh, you mean when we were fucking, well, at least you were on board with the secrecy."

"Out of necessity, I'll have you know. If the circumstances were different, I wouldn't have a problem with putting it in the newspaper." Peony said shamelessly.

"Of course I know you wouldn't have a problem with flaunting to the press. It's me, not him."

"Oh come off it. 'It's me, not you' that's a terrible thing to say. No girl wants to hear that,"

Jade let that jab slide, really not in an arguing mood. He had far too much of that earlier with Guy. "I'm sure you're the expert."

"I am. Now, are we going to have rebound sex or not?"

Jade momentarily choked on his drink. "You are absolutely shameless," he said, coughing.

"I like to think it's one of my good points," he admitted. But it ran deeper than that, he found himself sincerely missing Jade, but he couldn't interfere if Jade was happy with Guy. But if Guy wasn't with Jade, he didn't have any qualms about seeking his own happiness.

"It is one of your good points," Jade conceded. "I have a bed, you know. An entire bedroom," he suggested, shifting as Peony straddled his hips, carelessly undoing the front of Jade's shirt.

"I know. But I'm not going in there till you burn your sheets," he said smugly.

"Are you holding a grudge? Not very becoming," Jade remarked, slipping easily into the familiarity of Peony. They had a different understanding of each other, a relationship defined by their occupations, unlike with Guy, where it was more about infatuation. Unsurprisingly he was more comfortable with the former because there wasn't a need for words or reassurances, because there was nothing to misunderstand. He appreciated simplicity.

"Hardly. Now shut up."

He did.

-  
>Old habits never quite died, it appeared as they followed a well practiced routine of going to work from the same place, but appearing as if they hadn't. Separate cars, arrival times, completely professional conversations. Jade went through the entire day without seeing Guy once- of course, he hardly had occasion to visit where he worked (except when he made an excuse to) and Guy had no business in the management departments.<p>

It wasn't until he was on his way to his car in the underground parking lot he spotted a familiar figure waiting for him.

"Did you wait until I was leaving?" he asked Guy, checking his watch. It was nearly midnight and he was leaving early.

"Not really, I usually work late too," Guy reminded him.

"Right. What can I do for you?" Jade harbored no ill towards Guy, but he had made it perfectly clear he was unhappy with him.

"I wanted to apologize," he said in a rush, unsure of what he was even doing here. "I said some things I regret," he admitted, staring at the ground. He knew how intimidating Jade could be if he wanted to, but after a hesitant glance, Jade just looked tired.

"Apology accepted," Jade replied with as much grace as he could muster. He could hardly say he slept with Peony hours after he departed, that would reflect poorly on the both of them. "But I think you're right. This relationship isn't fair to you and I accept that. If that sounds about right, it would best to say its over."

The day before, Guy would be incredibly pissed off that Jade could say that so easily, but somehow in the dim lighting of the parking garage he could see Jade clearer- his eyes betrayed the ease in which he said those words. "I guess I have no choice but to agree. So, what now?"

Jade thought about that briefly. Indeed, what was to happen now? 'Let's stay friends', no girl wants to hear that, he recalled Peony advising him. They weren't exactly colleagues. But he felt he owed him something, at the very least.

"Tell me... how do you feel about red heads?"

-  
>"Malkuth engineer suspected of corporate espionage... Kimlascan Industries heir involved with mystery Malkuth employee... KI heir discovered to be illegitimate twin ... What a fucking circus," Peony remarked, tossing the next tabloid off the bed. Jade was bringing a fresh round of papers with the morning coffee. "How did you plot this?"<p>

"You're giving me credit for something that was completely out of my control."

"Bullshit," he countered playfully, admiring the full page paparazzi spread of a familiar blond engineer getting in the car of one Luke von Fabre. "I bet you even knew about the twin."

"That was a twist of soap operatic scale," Jade said, handing Peony his coffee. Two sugars and whole milk.

"Well at least they are still together. Especially since Guy really wasn't trying to steal corporate secrets and Luke wasn't really the heir to Kimlascan Industries."

"Everything worked out better than expected."

"You have to add a maniacal laugh to the end of that you know, mastermind's perogative."

"Why do you still believe this was my idea?"

"You introduced them."

"Out of the kindness of my heart."

Peony laughed at Jade's deadpan humor, one of his favorite things about him in the end. One of his favorite things on a list of many, including how Jade knew exactly how he liked his coffee and how he liked to be fucked. Speaking of which...

"I hope you still have some 'kindness' left over for me," he said teasingly, pulling his sometimes errant assistant into bed.

"Unfortunately it looks like I've filled my kindness quota for this month,"

"Pity, it looks like I'll just have to settle for sex."

"You're incorrigible."

"You love me for it."

"Guilty."

"I love you too." It was more than just words or just feelings. It was a promise, for the first time perhaps in a long while, to take responsibility instead of just pawning it off to his assistant. Which he couldn't exactly do anymore, because Jade _was_his assistant. But somehow the enigma that walked into his office on day one had filled the gaps in his life he didn't even recognize, despite being mired in them all the while. It went beyond work, professionalism, stock market fluctuations and screwing in his office with the blinds closed. It was something he couldn't bear to lose, come hell or high water, yearly reviews or paparazzi. It was Jade, in all his mystery, not something that could be bought by his fortune, but only kept by his heart.


End file.
